Kalaheo players and coaching staff pose after recapturing the OIA championship. Greg Yamamoto | SL

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Thu, Feb 11, 2016 @ McKinley

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Kaiser

47

Kalaheo

67

Final	1	2	3	4
Kaiser (12-2, 28-7)	2	14	11	20	47
Kalaheo (12-2, 25-7)	14	19	14	20	67

• Points
• Rebounds
• Assists

A. Layi 21 pts  2 3pm  9/10 FTs

K. Mahiko 12 pts  2 3pm  2/3 FTs

C. Whitlock 8 tot  1 off  7 def

C. Kalaugher 7 tot  1 off  6 def

K. Smith 5 ast

N. Tom 5 ast

Alex Layi opened the game with a 3-pointer and Kalaheo never looked back in a stunning, 67-47 win against top-ranked Kaiser Thursday night to capture the Oahu Interscholastic Association Division I boys' basketball championship at McKinley's Student Council Gymnasium.

The Mustangs (12-2), seventh in the Hawaiian Electric Power Rankings, won their first title since 2013 and 19^th overall, 18 in Division I or pre-D2 era. By denying Kaiser (12-2), last year's D2 champion, the Mustangs still own the distinction of winning back-to-back titles in D2 (2012) and D1 (2013). Ironically, Kaiser's only losses are to the OIA's champions. Kaiser's other loss is to Roosevelt, which earlier won the D2 title.

The title gives the Mustangs, the defending state champions, one of the four seeded berths into the Division I state tournament.

Layi led with 21 points and Kekai Smith had 16. The Cougars did not hit a field goal until 6:02 in the second quarter on a basket from Chance Kalaugher, who finished with nine points.

Isaiah Akiona and Keoua Mahiko shared Kaiser's scoring lead with 10 points each.

"He wanted it tonight," Kalaheo first-year coach Rob Pardini said of Layi. "You could see it in his preparation tonight that he was focused. We had a great, great walk-through yesterday. Everybody understood their role and it showed. That first quarter showed that we were ready."

After Layi's trey, the Cougars got free throws from Keoua Mahiko with 7:05 in the first to pull them to within 1.

The Mustangs closed the quarter with an 11-0 run and made it an 18-0 run into the second quarter before Kalaugher's basket for Kaiser's first field goal of the game.

"We were very stagnant," Kaiser coach Branden Kawazoe said. "The zone hurt us early and we didn't defend and we can't give a team like that a lead and expect to come back, so a tough one tonight, but a good learning opportunity and congratulations to Kalaheo."

In Kaiser's haste to make up ground, it found itself in foul trouble early. Kalaheo was in the bonus by the end of the first period. Kalaugher had drawn his first two fouls at 3:54 in the first. The Mustangs continued their onslaught in taking a commanding 33-16 lead into the half. Kalaugher and Michael Miske fouled out in the fourth quarter.

So far behind, Kaiser had to foul often in the second half. Kalaheo did not miss a beat, converting 23 of 30 free throws to account for its 34 second-half points. (Kalaheo was 32 of 40 in free throws.) The Cougars, of course, had little time to waste, making eight of their 10 3-pointers in the second half, six in the fourth quarter alone. Akiona had four of the 10 treys.

The title was special to Layi, who was on the varsity as a freshman at Campbell before transferring his sophomore year. He did not experience Kalaheo's OIA title three years ago, but was big contributor on last year's state title team.

"It's a really good feeling, especially knowing (the Cougars) were the No. 1 team in the state right now. This is a really good feeling. We can celebrate, but we still have to focus on states."

Early in the game, the 6-foot-3 Layi was covering Kaiser's 6-5 Kalaugher.

"He's the No. 1 player in the state, I keep saying that," Layi said. "He's really good. But it was a team effort guarding him. It wasn't just me. That was the game plan and we all executed."

The game also marked the return of Kalaheo's Captain Whitlock. He was suspended for the semifinals because he was ejected in the quarterfinals. He might have scored only eight points – all in the second half – but he had a team-leading eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

"He was focused," Pardini said of Whitlock.

Kalaheo won the state tournament last year despite not winning the OIA title, so Kaiser need not despair.

"Everything's a learning process," Kawazoe said. "It's all about overcoming adversity and learning from your mistakes. It's back to the drawing board. We've got one more week of basketball. Our ultimate goal is the state championship, so we just have to get better and learn from this."